Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-11-19

opened fire upon the crowd with their
revolvers. The crowd responded freely
to the fire. The police Immediately
charged Then began the work of car
ing for the injured, who were taken to
Desplaines Street Station. Where their
wounds were dressed prior to their re-
moval to the County Hospital. OF the
police, seven died from their wounds,
while of the crowd at the meeting, one
was killed and some twenty wounded,
so far as known.
The arrest of August Spies, Michael
Schwab, Samuel Fielden, who was shot
in the knee at the riot. Oscar Neebe,
Adolph Fischer, Louis Lingg and George
Engel for completely in the murder of
the police followed Immediately. A.
R. Parsons for time escaped arrest, but
finally surrendered himself, The s'Ar-
better Zeitung, the organ Of the Anarch-
ist, was suppressed, and the Anarchist
haunts in the city we're raided. Then
followed the endictment of the eight
for the murder of Officer Matthias j,
Degan. Their trial on the Indictment
was the most important and prolonged
in Cook County criminal jurisprudence.
All were found guilty, and all but Neebe
who received fifteen years imprisonment,
were sentenced to death The case was
carried to the higher courts, until the
United States Supreme Court was reach
ed, but without avail
Petitions innumerable for and against
the exercise Of executive clemency were
sent to Governor Oglesby, and the peo-
IL <,f( 20.
high state of excitement. 1t was feared
that attempts at rescue would occur, and
extensive preparations were made by
police and military to preserve order.
Sketches of the Anarchists.
August Spies came to this country
He learned the trade of saddlemaker in
Chicago, but gave up this occupation
when he was 20 years Of age, and tramp
ed through the West and South for
couple of years. When "a he went back
to Chicago, and soon took part in poll
tics At that time there were no Anar-
chists in Chicago. Spies himself was a
Socialist, and being good speaker he
soon rose to be leader of the Socialists,
who were so strong that they cast 10000
votes for their candidate for mayor, Dr.
Ernst Schmidt. Spies became afterward
manager of the Socialistic daily in Chi
cago, the Arbeiter Zeitung, which had
at that time big circulation and great.
influence with the workingmen.
A. r. Parsons was native of Massa-
chusettes and was about forty-five years
old He edited paper called the Alarm
last winter, in which he gave special di-
rections in bomb-throwing and the man
ufacture of explosives, following the ex-
ample of Spies and Most, the latter being
the writer of pamphlet dealing with
the methods of making war upon society.
For some time he was scout in Texas,
and was considered "dead shot. He
had always been CONSTANT in his practi-
ces, doing very little work, and conse-
quently becoming a financial burden up
on the Anarchist party in Chicago.
Samuel Fielden was born in Lanca-
shire, England, in 1S47 He worked in
cotton mill from the time he was eight
years old till he reached his majority.
When he was eighteen years old he went
to Weslyn and joined the Methodist
Church, becoming Sunday-scAool su-
perintendent and afterwards local
preacher. He Came to the United States
in 1866, and after stopping three years
in Cleveland, took up his residence in
Chicago, where he has since resided.
George Engel was native of Germa-
ny, having been born in Kassel, Hesse,
in 1885, Early in January, 1872, he
came to America, and afterwards to Chi
cago, where he had since lived, working
as painter. That year he was candi-
date for the position of West Town col
lector, on the Socialistic ticket. In the
spring of 1880 he took charge Of the bus
mess department of the Arbeiter Zeitung,
shortly afterwards assuming the position
of associate editor.